Anora 2024
I wanted to see The Brutalist, which showed up at my local discount theater after it was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, but I noticed that Anora, also nominated, was showing as well, but was on its last day. I didn't know much about it and it is not my kind of movie. It is about a stripper and an immature partier who is the son of a Russian oligarch. The first half of the movie at least is about strip clubs and partying, with minimal plot or character development. Then they get married in Vegas and it becomes this other movie as the oligarch's incompetent tough guys try to hunt them down before the oligarch shows up. Then there is something else tacked on the end that was equally pointless. The characters seemed inconsistent to me and generally unlikeable. There is a lot of bad language, raunchy sex, and yelling. It was hard for me to find anything to like in the movie. Mikey Madison, as the stripper certainly throws herself into the role, but in making her a realistic stripper it turns the audience into people who go to strip clubs. Later on I found out that the director did The Florida Project which also featured vile characters and won critical acclaim. While I think this movie has higher production values and has some funnier aspects, I am still only able to give it a C+.
Written: 04 Feb 2025